The sun was going down by the time Samuel and Fredrick had reached the town the two called home. It was an average size, which made sense on account of its coastal location. In this rampant age of seafaring being a thriving city required easy water access and a well managed port, which would, much to Samuel chagrin, serve them well tonight. As they approached the outskirts of town making sure to stay away from main street and ducking into the vast and sprawling alley network. It was the sure sign of a burgeoning city, caused by a city growing fast with no clear universal oversight. However even the darkest back alleys seemed rather quite, as if something had the usually gutsy criminal underbelly on edge. Curiosity piqued Fredrick urged Samuel to more main streets skirting the town square hoping to gather more information about this all to ominous turn of events. It wasn't until he finally got a clear view of the town's main square and port it looked over that he finally knew what changed. He saw an ominous battleship moored in the port, even in the dark we could tell it was outfitted with many cannons; defiantly not pedestrian could be pirates? Of course one close look at the hull and that fancy dream was immediately dismissed, even in the dark he could see the tell tale marks: the black stripes markings near the bottom of the hull; the died wooden body, a deep emerald green or blue; even though its sales were furled Fredrick could guess that unfurled they'd carry that terrible mark a seagal holding a sideways wrench, the mark of the marines.

The marines had come to their little town, which meant Fredrick needed to leave and fast.

Fredrick nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard an old marine tune whistling out of the nearby bar. He didn't know what it was about it, but he found himself inching towards the dimly lit window across the empty square resting totally in the darkness. As he approached he began to catch more and more snippets of the song, and he began to hear more and more of the marines inside. The occasionally improvised musical breaks brought on by over intoxication, the raucous laughter, the comradery. As if compelled by some unseen force he found himself inching slowly towards lit window, yet with each step the jingle of gold in his pocket s felt heavier, like a anchor pulling him back to his senses. He was a thief, or course he also was a marine, but only a long time ago. Love the men hate the orders, that's how it'd always been. Of course that chapter of his life had disappeared like he had hoped to and it would take Gold Roger's ghost himself to bring himself to face those days again. With a low sigh he stopped his pursuit and doubled back towards the alley he had come and to a more appropriate class of people.

"Samuel, its marines."

"Damn it Fredrick, why?"

"I don't know."

"Is it about you?"

"To be so honored, I was just a lowly deserter no there here for something else, tracking a pirate, maybe?"

"Well if there not here for you then it is no biggie just lay low for a couple days wait for it to blow over"

"No."

"Why not."

"I just don't like it, we've got leave."

"You can't spend all your time running from them."

"I'm not running."

"Really?"

"Just hiding, well more like trying to ignore. Look that's part of my life I just don't like facing."

"Fine we just travel to a new city."

"Let's get off this island."

"What?"

"That guard today, the local traders are wising up sending actual guards, trained professionals, had we been slightly more unlucky."

"No."

"Why not?"

"In case you hadn't noticed were on an island."

"Oh really, in case you hadn't noticed that's all were ever on."

"So to travel off and island you need to use a boat."

"Your point?"

"You know I hate sea travel?"

"Why?"

"As a general rule I try not to surround myself with a substance that can kill me."

"You'll on a boat, stop complaining," Fredrick retorted, Samuel leaned up against an alley wall long face still hiding any really emotive expression. He stared back at Fredrick mouth in a small frown.

"You get us a boat and I'll go along with it, you've still got the log pose stored away somewhere right?"

"Never gave it up since I was a navigator, useful little things."

"Fine."

"Thanks," he said adding "think about seeing a new island wonder what other freakish things this damned world has to show for it?"

"Just get us a boat." Samuel said not hearing any of it.

Fredrick pushed the squeaky wooden door abreast, as he walked into the nearly deserted bar nestled between the beginning of the warehouses and the warf manager. The chairs and tables where numerous all placed slightly to close together, occasional splinters and peculiar stains adorned the floor (a result of the cramped space). However today the establishment usually brimming with pirates and the more adventurous seafaring merchants or adventures was, like everything else, empty. A couple big men sat at one table burly arms locked in what seemed to be an arm wrestle of attrition. A spindly man sat at one end of the bar, a luxurious red velvety coat draping down over the back of his bar stool, topped only by the giant floppy brimmed red hat he wore a veritable bouquet of feathers sticking out of the right side of the hat's large black ribbon. One pale, heavily, jeweled hand nestled a drink as red as his coat the other lazily resting on his scimitar. A long, thin, curling mustache completed the appearance sticking out a good half foot from his nose. Fredrick had remembered seeing his picture on one of the wanted posters, with a hefty bounty attached to it. A few more men dotted the place none looking particularly interesting. He took a seat next to a hunched man nursing a bottle. Calling over the bartender he asked for a drink.

"Samuel and I are trying to get a boat off this island, anyone one taking off soon?"

The bartender looked up arching an eyebrow then gritting his teeth and letting out a sigh.

"You and everyone else here."

"Marines?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

"If you don't know then why are you trying to leave."

"Marines, but probably for a different reason."

"Famous marine captain rolled into town, he's got everyone spooked been heard talking to a vice admiral don't know why and most here don't care to find out."

"Vice-admiral?"

"Yep."

"That does change things, still how about those ships."

"Most have left by now, only ones are left are here in this bar, or in well enough standing to hang out around the marines in the other."

"So no luck."

"Nope sorry." the bartender replied as he turned away attending to the more lavish dressed gentleman. Fredrick turned around on his chair and leaned back on the bar facing the door, he made a move to get up but stopped just short and stared once again around the bar. At that time the hunched man sitting next to him stopped nursing his bottle and turned to him.

"You need a boat?"

"hmm" Fredrick replied half listening, to be polite he turned to view the man. His face held a dignified air to it, on his rather pointed nose sat a pair of small half moon spectacles. Neatly trimmed black hair parted to the right covered his head. He had a nicely trimmed beard black and short. Small wrinkles shown around the edges of his face as he smiled. A nondescript cane lay at his side, one hand rested on it.

"Yeah, you have one?"

"Is that surprising?"

"less surprising then you letting me on it."

"Well it seems my original companions found themselves on the wrong side of this city's new found military might and as such I am down men, and a log pose."

"I got the pose, but how big is your ship."

"Small, I try not to attract much attention."

"Well it's just me and my associate so I don't know if will be enough" Fredrick said, letting the last statement just pass by. Pushing the point was not a luxury he had available to him if he still wished to get off this island today.

"When are we leaving?"

"Is tonight good?"

"Sure," Fredrick said really regretting the lack of opportunities presented before him. So here he was agreeing to travel on a three person boat with a strange, lame, man insistent on leaving in the middle of the night. Samuel had just said get a boat, not get a boat and a legitimate sounding plan. Thanking the man Fredrick offered to pay for his drinks he thanked him and left giving him the location of the boat, and then leaving the bar limping and heading out to the docks. Fredrick stayed back sorting out the bills, paying with the recently acquired jewelry much to the bartenders chagrin, he ended up paying well above price, and finishing his drink. Once that was done he turned to leave. He was heading towards the door when suddenly it slammed open and a individual standing in the opening. He wore clean white gloves and a bright white coat trailing down to his knees. Under the coat he wore jet black vest and a set of rainbow striped dress shirt and pants. Atop his head was a fedora all but the brim was made up of vertical multicolored strips, the brim was jet black like the vest. He stepped quickly with a purpose each of the spotless white dress shoes landing exactly where he wanted it to, and gave off a bad vibe that made you think twice before making snarky comments referring to his choice of attire. He stepped up to the bar and Fredrick hung back quickly taking a seat at one of the near tables, his gut telling him he should pay attention to what this stranger was going to say. Sure enough just as he sat down his gut was vindicated, as the strange man immediately began inquiring about a limping man. The bartender gruffly replied he had no recollection of any man, evidently also feeling the bad vibes this guy was emitting. The strangely dressed new comer eyes glinted with anger, and Fredrick felt this was as good a time as any to exit, and immediately went to Samuel filling him in on the details. He was skeptical, but eventually agreed to it. They began collecting up the money they had lying around as well as some choice possessions: the log pose, bullets, a couple bottles of different boozes and the strange still unlocked box from the carriage. Hurrying down they reached the small ship that was to be their transport off this island. The strange man stood on the ship's desk leaning on his cane as the boat swayed back and forth already loosened from most of its bond. The man ushered them up the gang plank rather amiably. Fredrick was about to inform him about the strange man asking for a lame man when suddenly their host suddenly looked down the pier and grew pale.

"you kick off the gangplank, you cut the last mooring line" He shouted, Fredrick quickly followed his gaze down the pier as well and saw that he didn't need to warn him at all, in fact it seems they were acquainted already. Following the frantic screaming Samuel kicked the gangplank off and cut the mooring line. The man pulled a cord and let down the sails and the boat began to leave squinting down the pier Fredrick stared at the strange man in the multicolored coat who also saw the boat and began to ran down the pier, producing several knives from below under his coat he flung them all with a single flick of his wrist, yelling out a warning Fredrick pulled out his rifle and climbed on top of the small cabin in the back of the boat ready to answer in kind. Samuel summoned up a wall of wood which the knives dug them deeply into. To by more time for the boat to pull far enough away so that knives weren't going to be a problem Fredrick set his sights and shot a series of bullet directly at the multicolored man. Assured of a hit Fredrick relaxed, only to be cruelly surprised as the multicolored man simply turned and walked away back down the pier disappearing into the darkness unfazed by the small bullet that should have been rattling around in his shoulder. Letting out a sigh he rolled over and jumped down off the cabin's roof staring at the man with the cane who was also staring back at the darkness, knuckles white as he gripped on his cane with all his might.

Fredrick lands leaning his gun up against the cabin, and turns the man having now regained his composer.

"We need to talk, and now."

"About what per say?"

"How about who is Mr. Fashion Disaster."

"If I may," Samuel interjects "I didn't think it looked that bad."

"Not the point." Fredrick huffed

"I am sorry but I don't think that really needs to be explained."

"Doesn't really need to be explained, so I guess I'm supposed to just take people trying to kill me as an everyday occurrence."

"When you act like that it's really your only defense mechanism."

"Not helping Samuel."

"Look Fredrick all I'm saying is that we all have our luggage."

"Exactly and I'm the only reason your luggage is actually here and not rotting back on the docks" The man shouts, only to quickly hunch over "I am sorry about that forget I said that, its no biggie"

"Okay that was weird, but I must insist, if not for my own protection. Which" He adds eyeing Samuel "Seems to be holding less and less weight around here, then for my own perverse curiosity."

"Err, all I am bringing your attention to is..." Samuel states gesturing to the wooden box.

"Like anyone is going to kill for that dumb old box probably just more jewels, nice sure but easily replaceable."